May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in the United States, and as we come to the end of the month, we would like to take the opportunity to celebrate our Asian-American employees and those in the APJ and India regions, for their contributions to Symantec and supporting us in becoming a global market leader in security and information management solutions. Today we share the story of a long-time employee, Spencer Liang, who has been with Symantec for nearly 20 years beginning as an intern and moving his way up to his current role as Vice President.
When I tell people I've been with Symantec for 19 years, they are often shocked that I have been with the same company for that long. To me it has been simple. I have been given opportunities, constantly challenged to expand my skills, supported by my managers and team, and most importantly, I have enjoyed my work the entire way.
I am an only child and was raised in Taiwan until the age of 10 when my family moved to Los Angeles, California where I live today.
I have always had an interest in technology, playing video games with friends, many of whom shared my same interest for the industry. During my youth, I wasn't aware my mother was a programmer and sometimes I wonder if it was her genes that got me to where I am today. However, I do remember that two of my uncles worked in IT – one for the financial sector and the other for local government. It was during my high school studies that one of them convinced me to pursue a career in technology due to the vast opportunities the industry provided and the increasing demand for workers (at the time I was studying architecture).
Based on this, I changed my undergraduate focus to computer science at UCLA, which would set the foundation for my future career. One of my favorite classes at UCLA was lead by a Symantec Fellow, Carey Nachenberg, who left a lasting impression on me. When it came time to begin an internship, I had a few choices, but I knew I wanted to work for Symantec. I began an internship the summer of my junior year and the rest is history….
Spencer Liang has been with Symantec for nearly 20 years, starting as an intern and moving his way up to his current role as Vice President, Engineering.
So why 19 years?
My 19 years with the company have definitely not been without excitement, or without change. My job and the company have both evolved. I have had the chance to work in a variety of positions from Quality Assurance Engineer to Sr. Software Engineer to Director of Engineering, and Symantec has transformed into one of the world's leading cybersecurity companies.
Additionally, I find the field of cybersecurity one of the most exciting and impactful. Cybersecurity threats are increasing every day and becoming more sophisticated. They are targeting individuals, corporations, governments. The safety of our world depends on the safety of the internet. Every day brings a new challenge and every day I know that I am making Symantec a stronger company, solving complex problems for our customers, and making our world a safer place. Every day I am helping someone and this is extremely rewarding.
To me, the people are what make Symantec a special place. My team has been collaborative and supportive, my managers challenging and inspiring, and all of this together has pushed me to grow, to develop new skills, to become a better leader for my team, and to be an expert in my field.
Since I began my career, technology has changed so much and created exponential opportunities. My advice to anyone is regardless of your background, pursue what you are passionate about. Try different functions, different responsibilities, different teams. You don't really know what a job entails until you start, so don't be afraid to take a chance and try it out. Along the way remember that no job is too small; sometimes it is the smallest tasks that make the biggest difference.
I am lucky to live in one of the centers of the US melting pot, a highly diverse city where the industry judges you on what you accomplish, not your background. I know this is not the same across the world, but I do feel it is the same across Symantec.
I truly believe at Symantec we embrace a diversity of backgrounds, beliefs, ideas and inputs. I hope my experience and my interactions with those internal and external to Symantec have and will inspire others to take a chance, pursue their dreams and take on new challenges.
Just remember to go in with an open mind and enjoy the experience. Sometimes you have to work somewhere to see if it is a good fit, and I have been lucky in the last 19 years to find mine.
Spencer Liang is Symantec's Vice President, Engineering